Spicy Peanut Noodles

 

Spicy Peanut Noodles

It turns out that Hubby is allergic to peanuts, so I made these noodles just for myself and went crazy with the chili sauce. Delicious Spicy Peanutty Noodles takes no time to make, especially if you can get your hands on fresh fettuccini pasta which take all of 3 minutes to cook.

Indian Egg and Potato Salad

Indian Egg and Potato Salad

Leftover Egg Salad

There were 2 hard boiled eggs left of the Egg and Onion Salad that we had yesterday. The eggs were chopped and the rest of the remains combined with mayonnaise to create a unique dressing for potato salad. This has to be taste-tested to appreciate the umami of mustard oil. So when you make Egg and Onion Salad, be sure to make extra for some Indian Potato Salad for lunch the next day.

Rice Noodles and Asparagus in Spicy Black Bean Sauce

Rice Noodles and Asparagus
In Spicy Black Bean Sauce

It feels like the world is slowly waking up from this pandemic that has gripped our lives for the last two months. Supermarkets are still displaying sparsely stocked shelves except in the vegetable and fruit departments.

Asparagus
In Spicy Black Bean Sauce

When asparagus is available, it's best to cook them as soon as they arrive home or they lose their flavour and texture in a hurry. An easy and tasty way to have asparagus is to use south-east Asian flavours and here's what I did.

Kanda Poha - Flattened Rice Pilaf

Flattened Rice Pilaf

Cheera (Bengali) or Poha (Hindi) or Flattened Rice (English) is parboiled rice that has been flattened and dried. It's available in packages at Indian markets all over India and North America and is considered a 'good' food for diabetics.

I was under the misconception that Kanda Poha refers to the potatoes in this poha dish, but during a phone conversation, my sister said it refers to the onions in the dish. Onions are considered to be non-vegetarian in certain parts of India so it's important to name it appropriately.

It's a hearty and filling meal which, if had for lunch, curbs hunger pangs that usually occur in the late afternoon.

Chicken Tater Tot Casserole

Chicken Tater Tot Casserole

A Chicken Pot Pie turned inside out, with the potatoes on the outside instead of inside, this fun casserole will become a favourite with young and old alike. It's quick to assemble and a great meal to serve the family on busy days like the day before Thanksgiving when preparations are underway for a big meal the next day.  

Irish Oatmeal Pilaf

Steel-Cut Irish Oatmeal Pilaf

During a phone call to my sister-in-law about a month ago, she suggested I try this pilaf for lunch. Admittedly, it didn't sound very appealing because porridge is porridge and nothing like pilaf. It was a good thing I decided to try it anyway.

McCann's Steel-Cut Oatmeal

Steel-cut oatmeal is available in the British/UK section of the international aisle of the grocery store. Because of how long it takes to cook, this type of oats is given a wide berth, but after wrapping my mind around pilaf, I decided to treat it just like rice. This tactic worked well and the pilaf tasted amazingly good!

Scrambled Tofu & Eggs Akuri

Scrambled Tofu & Eggs Akuri

Eggs Akuri is a common Parsi breakfast dish that is served all over India.

Prepped Ingredients

Beaten eggs are combined with diced onions, tomatoes, green chilies and cilantro for a very tasty accompaniment to buttered toast. In Bengali households this style of scrambled eggs are given a bright golden colour with the addition of turmeric powder.

Extra-Firm Tofu

I figured tofu would taste great with the scrambled eggs because of its firm and silky texture. To give it an Indo-Chinese twist, the diced cubes of tofu were tossed in chicken bouillon powder to give the tasteless tofu some punch. After allowing them to sit for 10 minutes, the cubes of tofu were mashed with a fork and soaked in beaten eggs before scrambling.

Chicken Bouillon Powder

No salt was added because the bouillon powder was salty enough.

These scrambled eggs taste great with buttered toast or hot chapatis or even steamed long-grain rice. I can imagine them stuffed inside egg parathas or bread pakoras...the possibilities are endless!

Veggie Pizza

Veggie Pizza

Our quilt guild has a luncheon twice a year in December and June. Usually members are expected to contribute their favourite dish as part of a potluck. Wow! What a spread there was to pick from. 

I'd come across a recipe on the Internet and thank heavens I experimented with it at home well before the day of the potluck. The base was made with Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, the spread from cream cheese combined with sour cream and ranch dressing mix with a topping of cucumber, grated carrots and slivered rainbow peppers. I found it to be too salty, so decided to tone things down by replacing the sour cream and ranch dressing mix with a tub of vanilla yogurt. This tasted so much better! You can substitute any flavour of yogurt or use plain yogurt flavoured as you please.

Top the 'pizza' with vegetables or protein of your choice. This is the ideal thing to take to a potluck because it can be made in a disposable baking pan, refrigerated until ready to be served and served cold or at room temperature.

Stuffed Rava Idlis

Stuffed Rava Idlis

Cream of wheat is known as rava in Hindi and suji in Bengali. Idlis are steamed cakes made from rice or cream of wheat. The batter is generally soaked the night before to allow it to set up. In this instant recipe, cream of wheat is combined with yogurt and spices and set aside for 30 minutes. I have to admit that instant idlis are not as soft and plump as the overnight recipe. So if time is not a constraint, it's better to prepare the batter the night before and leave at room temperature overnight.

Idli Stand

This recipe for idlis makes 8 idlis, so I used only 2 trays of the idli stand. Each tray can be removed from the stand by unscrewing the black knob on top, and separating each tray from the spindle in the center. They can then be reassembled by reversing the process.  I used my wok to hold the idli tray to steam the idlis, but a pressure cooker can also be used.

Yellow Alu

Here's another recipe that uses Yellow Alu or diced russet potatoes prepared the South Indian way. 

Banana Walnut Friendship Bread

Banana Walnut Friendship Bread

This is a nostalgic bread/cake that goes back to the days when we first arrived in Toronto, Canada in the late 1970s. My then-brother-in-law worked at Proctor & Gamble (P&G) and brought home a recipe book featuring Crisco Oil. This Banana Nut Loaf recipe, modified by me many times over, originated from that P&G recipe book. 

Some of the changes I made were to replace granulated sugar with dark brown sugar to improve the colour of the bread, to add sour cream to improve the moistness of the bread and most recently, to add Amish Friendship Bread Starter to the batter to give a yeasty aroma and taste to this banana nut loaf. The Amish Friendship Bread Starter can be omitted for a denser, cake-like banana nut loaf. Using the starter gave it a more bread-like texture.

Use the darkest brown sugar you can find, the darker the better. I had only light brown sugar on hand, which accounts for the lightness in the center of the bread. And if you skimp on the Crisco oil, your bread will be dry and horrible. I'm sure substituting another vegetable oil for Crisco will work just fine but, some forty years later, I continue to use Crisco oil.

Oats Utthappam - Savoury Oat Pancakes

Oats Utthappam

Using oatmeal instead of flour for pancakes and making them savoury is a great alternative for those of us who, for medical reasons, are forced to watch our carbohydrate intake. Utthappam, a South Indian breakfast delicacy, are savoury pancakes made with fermented rice and urad dal or lentils. 

This took less than 15 minutes to set up. Oatmeal is ground to a fine flour and then combined with yogurt, salt and the other ingredients to a pancake consistency. I used omelette ingredients comprising onions, tomatoes, green chilies & cilantro, all of which were diced and mixed in with the oatmeal mixture and then cooked in a cast iron omelette pan with very little oil.

Plain Greek yogurt is a staple in our refrigerator, but regular plain yogurt would work just as well, if not better, because of its water content. We had these for lunch today and could have only two each because they were so filling.

Breakfast Scrambled Eggs & Potatoes

Alu Deem Bhaja

We were late getting up this morning so we had breakfast for lunch. This was really quick and easy to put together because I used frozen hash brown potatoes from the freezer. But it's just as easy to peel a large russet potato and dice it instead.

Beat Eggs Until Frothy

First, I beat 2 eggs with salt & pepper to taste & a pinch of turmeric powder until frothy. The turmeric gives the eggs a lovely flavour and is what makes it Bengali scrambled eggs.

Stir-Fried Potatoes

Then, 2 cups of diced potatoes were stir-fried with salt & pepper, 1/4 cup each diced tomatoes, green onions and 1 green chili.

Setting Eggs

When the potatoes were cooked, a well was made in the center of the potatoes and a little more butter was melted, the beaten eggs poured in the well and allowed to set around the edges.

Scrambled Eggs & Potatoes

The eggs were then scrambled and stirred with the potatoes...

Plated

and mounded on a toasted and split English muffin. Add to that a mug of steaming hot coffee for a deeply satisfying meal. 

Ingredients: (serves 2)
2 eggs, beaten until frothy with
   salt & pepper to taste
   a pinch of turmeric
1 onion, minced
1 tomato, diced
1 green chilli, diced (or to taste)
2 stalks green onions, sliced
handful cilantro, chopped
2 cups potatoes, peeled & diced
2 Tbsp. (1/4 stick) butter
2 English muffins, split and toasted
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Melt half the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Stir-fry onions, tomatoes, chilli, green onions & cilantro until oil resurfaces.
3. Add potatoes along with salt & pepper and stir well.
4. Sprinkle some water over potatoes and cover.
5. Simmer potatoes, stirring occasionally until potatoes are cooked.
6. Make a well in the center of the potatoes and melt remaining butter.
7. Pour beaten egg over melted butter and allow edges to set.
8. Stir and scramble egg into potatoes; turn heat off.
9. Toast 2 split English muffins, mound scrambled eggs & potatoes over muffin halves and serve with beverage of choice.

Chicken Fajita Casserole

Chicken Fajita Casserole

This deconstruction of a chicken fajita meal combines all its ingredients into a hot & bubbling casserole. I had to come up with something quick that would also appeal to our grandsons (6-8 year-olds) and this met the criteria, especially because we had chicken fajita strips in the freezer. The young boys and their grandparents enjoyed scooping it up with Doritos and heated flour tortillas.

INGREDIENTS

1 pkg. (16 oz./1 lb.) fajita chicken strips, cubed or shredded
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced new potatoes
1 can (10.5 oz.) Campbell's cream of chicken soup
2 Tbsp. low-fat sour cream
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. red pepper flakes
1 pkg. (16 oz./2 cups) reduced fat grated cheese
6 stalks green onions, whites only chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Set aside 1 Tbsp. grated cheese for garnish.
3. Mix remaining ingredients together and place in an 8" x 8" Pyrex dish.
4. Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes, garnish with grated cheese.
5. Return to oven and bake for 5 minutes more until cheese melts.
6. Serve hot with Doritos or tortillas.

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Khichuri - Rice, Lentils & Vegetable Stew

Yesterday we had 96°F temperatures and today it was down to 69°F. Looks like Fall is on its way, so I decided to make Khichuri for dinner. 

Khichuri, a Bengali one-pot-meal once considered comfort food for the poor, is now a delicacy served during the Monsoon or rainy season when the weather turns considerably cooler. Core ingredients are rice and lentils but vegetables, eggs, poultry or meat are added according to taste. 

For added interest, a cup of coconut milk was added towards the end which imparted an Asian flair to this dish.

Chicken Pot Pie Casserole

Today being Thursday, is GrandBoy’s day. GrandBoy #2 who is 5 years old, will be visiting us and preparing something appealing for him is a big concern. I thought of individual chicken pot pies, but the thought of fiddling with puff pastry and individual bowls of stuff was pretty daunting. Here is the result of simplifying the entire process – a casserole of chicken pot pie ingredients topped with cracker crumbs.  Hope he likes it!

Loaded Baked Potato And Chicken Casserole

Loaded Baked Potato & Chicken Casserole

The inspiration piece at the link above is a healthy recipe. I made a few changes to pump up the flavour with the addition of fajita chicken strips and red pepper flakes. My recipe is much simpler and more straightforward because I've made use of several pre-cooked, ready-made products such as fajita chicken strips and diced potatoes which cut down the baking time by more than half. Before I added the sour cream to the casserole, it looked kind of dry. The outcome of this entire experiment could not have been more successful. It is delicious!

Asian Lettuce Wraps

An assortment of fresh ingredients are wrapped in Bibb Lettuce cups and dipped in sweet chilli sauce   This is a great starter and so easy to assemble.

Ingredients:
2 heads Boston/Bibb lettuce
2 stalks green onions
1 bunch fresh cilantro
1 bunch fresh mint
2 large carrots
1 handful fresh bean sprouts
3 lemons or limes
½ lb. large shrimp, shelled and deveined
¼ lb. mung bean vermicelli (aka glass noodles)
Sweet chilli sauce (recipe below)

Directions:
Separate leaves of lettuce.
Chop green onions and cilantro.
Remove stalks from mint.
Grate two large carrots.
Remove tails from bean sprouts.
Wash and drain each of the above thoroughly.
Cut lemons/limes into eighths.
Blanch shrimp in boiling, salted water just until they turn pink.
Blanch vermicelli in boiling water for 2 minutes and drain.
Serve everything in separate dishes and let each guest assemble his/her own lettuce wrap to taste.
Use sweet chilli sauce for dipping the lettuce wraps.

Serves: 6-8
Preparation Time: 15 mins.

Sweet Chili Sauce

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1/4 cup hot water
3 tablespoons sugar
1 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 teaspoon red chili paste, such as sambal oelek
1/2 carrot, finely shredded

In a blender, puree all ingredients, except carrot.
Add shredded carrot.
Pour into a small bowl and serve with Asian Lettuce Wraps.

Makes: 1 cup

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Tapioca Pilaf - Sabudana Upma

This dish is eaten for breakfast all over India and is most commonly referred to as Sabudana Khichdi or Tapioca cooked with Vegetables. It begins with large tapioca pearls that are washed and then soaked in water overnight. A variety of vegetables and herbs are chopped, diced, sliced and stir-fried along with the softened tapioca pearls to arrive at this delicious and nutritious pilaf. Just before serving, the dish is garnished with a twist of lime and roasted nuts to give it a tang and crunch.

Ingredients:
1½ cups large tapioca pearls

1 cup water

Tempering:

6 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1/8 tsp. fenugreek seeds

1/8 tsp. black mustard seeds

1 sprig (7-8) curry leaves

Vegetables:
1 medium onion, diced
1 jalapeno or hot green chilies, diced

1” piece of ginger, peeled and diced

1 medium tomato, chopped

1 kaffir lime leaf, julienned

Salt to taste

½ tsp. sugar

Garnish:

Juice of half lime

Handful roasted cashew nuts

Handful cilantro, chopped

Directions:

1.    Rinse tapioca pearls in tap water three times, drain and soak in 1 cup water overnight.

2.    Separate softened pearls between fingers to prevent clumping and set aside.

3.    Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat and sputter tempering ingredients.

4.    Add diced onions, jalapeno and ginger & stir-fry until onions turn translucent.

5.    Turn heat down to medium and add tapioca, potatoes, tomatoes and kaffir lime leaf.

6.    Stir well, adjust salt to taste, cover and cook until potatoes soften, stirring occasionally.

7.    Add sugar and stir.

8.    Garnish with a twist of lime, cilantro and chopped cashew nuts before serving.

Cheerer Pulao

This recipe was inspired by a recipe from Mala Ray Chatterjee's Poha with Loads of Veggies in a Facebook group called Kitchen Raagas.  This recipe differs slightly from the original because I didn't have all the ingredients, so I am providing a modified version.  This is also for those readers who do not have a Facebook account.  This dish is fast and easy to make and is great for breakfast, brunch or lunch. 

Cheera or Poha is dehydrated and flattened rice flakes that is highly nutritious and lasts in the pantry for a long time. 

Ingredients
1 cup cheera (poha), washed and squeezed dry

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
1 green chili, deseeded and chopped 
1 tsp. urad dal
1 tsp. chana dal
1 tsp. cashew nut pieces
1 tsp. raisins

1 medium onion, chopped
1 Roma tomato, chopped
8-10 curry leaves
1 tsp. chopped ginger or ginger paste
1 cup chopped vegetables (cauliflower, carrot, peas, green pepper, potatoes/sweet potatoes) 
Salt to taste
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 lime cut in 4 wedges
1 Tbsp. cilantro

1 tsp. ghee

Directions

1. In a saucepan over high heat, sputter mustard seeds, chili, dals, cashews and raisins.
2. Add onions, tomatoes, curry leaves, ginger and fry for 2 minutes until onions soften.
3. Add vegetables and salt and cook until vegetables are cooked, about 10 minutes. 
4. Add cheera (poha) along with lime juice and mix well. 
5. Adjust salt  and chilies to taste and heat through.
6. Garnish with cilantro and ghee
7. Remove from heat to a serving dish and serve with lime wedges.